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Encyclopedia - Maxim Machine Gun

Invented by Hiram S. Maxim
in the U.S. in 1884, the Maxim Gun comprised the world's first automatic
machine gun.

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When war in Europe broke out in the summer of 1914 the
major armies (bar France and Austria) largely made use of machine guns based
upon Maxim's original design (click
here to read an overview of machine gun development and use during
wartime).

The Maxim Gun was water-cooled (via a jacket around the
barrel which held approximately one gallon) and fed from fabric belts;
the German version of the gun, the
Maschinengewehr, utilised 250-round
belts. The whole was mounted on a sledge which, although heavy - 1914
machine guns weighed from 40-60kg - did enable the gun to be carried in the
manner of a stretcher. The Maxim was usually operator by a four to six
man team.

In designing his machine
gun, Hiram Maxim utilised a simple if ingenious concept. The gas produced
by the explosion of the powder in each cartridge itself generated
a recoil which served to continuously operate the gun's mechanism.
No external power was needed. His initial design allowed for a
theoretical rate of fire of up to 600 rounds per minute (half that number in
practice).

Maxim triumphantly demonstrated his new invention to,
firstly, the British Army - he had moved to London shortly before developing
the machine gun - in 1885. Two years later the British government
placed an initial order for three of the devices for testing purposes.
Although his invention passed all stipulated tests it was nevertheless not
picked up the British; the military high command envisaged limited infantry
use of the weapon.

Later the same year, 1887, Maxim's gun was demonstrated
to the German Army.
Kaiser Wilhelm
II personally attended trials and, duly impressed, authorised its use.
Thus the Maschinengewehr was born - a more or less direct copy of Maxim's
invention; similarly the British
Vickers and the Russian
Pulemyot Maxima
were also based upon the Maxim Gun.